Anju's Chapters  Wish Upon The Moon
by Chris Bachman
Summary: Mini sequel to Anju's Chapters. After story of Katsu and Anju.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**What Comes, Must Go**

There was a small black crowd in a small mansion somewhere in Fukuoka. Some were standing, some were kneeling. There were some whispers here and there. But most remained quiet. Some made eye contact, some didn't.

It was a dark day.

It was a sad day.

It was grandpa's day.

A man from the small crowd stood up and headed up to the black and white picture of Katsu's grandfather. For a moment, Jun stood there motionlessly, blankly staring at the picture of the man that no longer was.

He sighed.

He took a very deep bow. "Thank you for everything"

"We knew him well," Jun began and turned to the crowd. He gazed at the crowd. The words wouldn't come to him. He really wasn't sure what to say anymore. Not that there was nothing to say. He didn't know where to start.

Katsu's grandfather had done far more than anyone else could have ever done for both vampires and the vampire hunters. When Jun was born, he only caught a glimpse at the very end of grandpa's achievements. And just that was enough to make Jun realize how much respect this man deserved.

"We all knew him well," Jun repeated. "He had done so much for us. Words cannot describe how much we owe him. But...now he is gone. Gone like the founders of our organization. Perhaps not all of us know what he did in the past, but let me tell you: his achievements will never be forgotten!"

"May he rest in peace!" Jun gritted his teeth and lifted his cup of sake.

The crowd followed suit.

"May he rest in peace" the room echoed.

Jun gaze traveled across the crowd once more before he lowered himself. In the back he saw Katsu and Anju. He gave them a small smile.

They smiled back.

"Amazing," he thought to himself. "To think that vampire and human...well...I've seen them together plenty of times, but it still amazes me every time I see Katsu with Anju..."

Katsu was in the back with Anju next to him. She was holding his hand.

"Jun seems to be quite fond of your grandfather," Anju commented after Jun sat back down.

"Yeah," Katsu nodded. "I've never asked him, but it seems like he has enormous respect for the old man. Probably even more than I do."

Anju looked up at Katsu and gave him a small smile. She squeezed his hand lightly. Now that his grandfather was gone, it was just her and Katsu left.

Katsu smiled back.

No words were needed.

He knew what Anju wanted to tell him with that single smile.

It probably was something along the lines of 'I'll be there for you', Katsu guessed and he knew that he was more or less right. They had spend enough time together to sometimes even guess correctly what the other is thinking.

Over the years, Anju had gotten to know Katsu's grandfather better and better. And although it took a fair bit of persuasion from both Katsu and Jun, Anju gave some hair and blood samples to grandpa for him to research. He hoped to find a way to extent the human lifespan.

Anju never told anyone that she hoped that Katsu would be able to use this research and extent his lifespan so that they could grow old together.

Anju had hoped that he would be able to complete the research. But truth was, she never knew exactly where he had gotten with the research. Grandpa never revealed a single bit of information about his quest for a longer life

Not a single note. Or a fraction of a chemical formula.

Perhaps he felt that humans should live as long as their are supposed to.

Maybe that is why he did not use the information he gained from Anju to avoid the funeral right now. Assuming that he managed to find a way to extent the human life span using Anju's DNA samples.

Soon it was Katsu's turn. He let go of Anju's hand and stood up. Anju gave him a smile of encouragement. As his fiance, she felt that it was her responsibility to comfort him. To give him everything he needs to overcome the loss of the only family he had ever known.

Although now she was his family. His fiance. His wife.

Whatever you want to call it.

Anju watched Katsu go up to the portrait and take a deep bow. He then proceeded to giving his speech to the crowd.

Anju could see it on his face. None of it was going into his head. His mind was a blank.

He was speaking whatever words would come to his mind.

Katsu did not cry.

Not a single tear.

Perhaps he still couldn't believe that the old man that took care of him ever since he could remember was now gone.

Dead.

_Dead,_ Katsu thought to himself. _Such a simple word._

An hour later, the funeral service ended and the crowd dispersed as slow as it came together.

"I'm very sorry for your loss" was said countless times to Katsu, with Anju always by his side. Always holding his hand.

Katsu found it comforting to feel her warm, soft hand in his. Even though he had help hands with her countless times over the years, it was now that he realized how badly he needed her presence.

To feel the warmth of her hand.

The comfort of her smile.

The irony of her stoic voice and expression.

One by one, the men in black suits and women in white kimonos left. Until there were only Katsu, Anju and Jun left.

"Well," Jun exhaled. "That went well didn't it?"

"Yeah. Though it went on longer than I expected." Katsu replied.

A silence followed. Anju looked at Katsu, then at Jun and back to Katsu. She waited for either to say something.

She considered speaking up, but decided to keep silent.

"Well, don't hesitate to call me if you ever need something from me or the organization. You still have my number from back then right?" Jun scratched the back of his head.

"Yup," Katsu replied. "How can I ever forget that number. After the crate of weapons you sent into my poor little hostel room"

An air of awkwardness suddenly settled in.

Anju gave both men slightly awkward glances. She remembered that time well enough. She walked into Katsu's room, wanting to confess, but found anti-vampire weapons instead.

And then Katsu confessed to her.

Anju smiled at that memory.

"What are you so happy about?" Jun mused. "You find a certain joy in guns and grenades?"

"Not that specifically." Anju replied flatly.

Katsu tried to remember what happened after Anju found the weapons. She found the bullets, guns, coat, documents and everything else. Then he walked into the room. Then Anju screamed at him. And then...

"Oh." Katsu's eyes went wide.

"You remembered something?" Jun asked.

"No, No. It's just a memory from back then. You know, when I first came to Tokyo."

"Ah yes. Yes. Good times. How long has it been? Five? Six years? Time flies doesn't it? A hell lot has happened since then."

Katsu and Anju both nodded in agreement.

"Well then," Jun sighed and picked up his coat and hat. "I'll be seeing you then. Call me if you ever feel like making use of the pockets of that coat I gave you back then. " He gave Katsu a wide grin before he stepped out onto the street and vanished around the corner.

Katsu exhaled and waved. And continued to wave even after Jun was gone. He wondered when he was going to see Jun again. He had also grown quite close to Jun over the years.

He still remembered the first time Jun had visited him in the hostel. Those were some times. If it wasn't for Jun, he would have never 'approached' Anju.

In the most ironic way, besides grandpa, Katsu would have to thank Jun for causing him to ever meet Anju.

"Let's go home," Anju looked up at him.

Katsu nodded and walked back into grandpa's mansion. He turned off all the lights and made sure all the windows were closed. He closed the doors to the cabinet that contained grandpa's portrait and blew out the scent sticks.

He turned around and took one last glance into the house. So many years had he spent here with grandpa.

And now, after all these years, he was leaving this place.

"See you old man." Katsu sighed and closed the door. He locked the doors for good and slipped the keys into his pocket.

He wasn't going to use them for a long time.

Anju was waiting for him outside.

"Let's go home," Katsu smiled slightly and hand in hand they walked on.

For a while they walked in silence. Anju could feel Katsu's warmth against her arms. So many times had she walked like this with Katsu ever since becoming his fiance. Or his wife. Or girlfriend.

She felt her fingers locked with his. It was such a comforting feeling. This physical bond made her feel save. It gave her the absolute feeling that Katsu would always be by her side.

Even though she knew that was not possible.

"Say," Anju began. "what did your grandpa do with the samples that I gave to him a few years ago?"

Katsu thought for a moment.

"I don't know actually. He never told me what he did with them. I don't know why. He never talked about his research. And whenever I asked him, he always managed to dodge it somehow. And when I pressed harder, he said that it wasn't time for it yet."

Anju's gaze was fixed to the ground, her silver tresses swaying slightly as she continued to walk. She nodded slightly.

Over the years, her hair had become even longer. Anju knew that Katsu loved her hair, especially her elegant tresses. He loved her hair so much, almost as if it was another being itself, but Anju knew he loved it has part of her as a whole.

Often, he would embrace her from behind, spending some minutes nuzzling his nose in her hair, feeling the silky smoothness of it.

Suddenly, Katsu let go of her hand, and for a fleeting moment Anju half tried to take his hand back into hers.

He put his arms around her shoulder. He pulled her close as they continued to walk home.

Surprised, Anju looked up at him.

Her eyes widened as she saw the pained expression in his eyes. She could almost herself feel the pain that was stabbing Katsu.

Finally, the numbness that he felt during the funeral was fading away.

The real pain was surfacing.

His hand grabbed her shoulder tighter. Anju could feel that he was restraining himself, as not to hurt her.

Katsu felt his throat tighten. And then finally, his vision blurred.

For a moment, Anju watched him cry. It had been so many years since she had last seen Katsu cry. Seeing him so vulnerable was rare.

Seeing these pained tears coming from Katsu was a first time.

She separated herself from Katsu's grip and placed herself in front of him.

With gentle smile, she wiped the tears off his cheek.

And without noticing, a tear rolled down her cheek too.

Perhaps she had grown fonder of that older man than she would like to admit to herself. After all, he was the only family Katsu had known before her.

Now she was his family.

His wife.

Wife. Quite the odd word isn't it.

"Sorry about that," Katsu apologized with almost a light laugh when he calmed down. It felt so odd. It had been such a long time since he felt so much emotion come out of him.

"Katsu...Katsu," Anju simply replied.

She smiled at him.

Looking him him into the eyes, she raised her head a little higher and raised herself to kiss him.

They closed their eyes as their lips met.

Almost instinctively, Katsu reached behind and lightly caressed Anju's silver tresses. It had become a second nature to him.

Minutes later, they separated. They couldn't but just to smile a little at each other.

After that, hand in hand, they walked on for a few more minutes until they stopped in front of a house.

Home.

* * *

Well...after such a long time away from fanfiction and concentrating on original fiction...I just thought "what the hell" and decided to dip into fanfiction one last time.

I reviewed everything I wrote and I discovered that there was one thing I hated about it: its clunkiness. The text felt blocky, slow. One word came to my mind: streamline. I needed to find a way to streamline my writing style. To make it read easier, faster. More enjoyable.

And then came light novels.

Not many have been translated into English, but those few that were (e.g Spice and Wolf), were enough to make be realize what I could do. The writing style was so much simpler. Sentences and paragraphs were shorter. Descriptions were simpler, yet at the same time the story seems so sophisticated.

And this is what I'm trying to do here.

And plus, I'm trying out something completely new: slice of life.

After reading and watching _Hanbun, _I felt that the Slice-of-Life genre is virtually unknown outside Asia and above all, very difficult to write for. As the name says, slice of life tells stories that could happen every day, using every day events to tell the stories of the characters. It can be very hard to make it interesting, but if one can do it, it can become an addictive masterpiece.

And this is what I have tried to do here. I don't know wether or not I have succeeded in writing out the peaceful atmosphere and mood of slice of life, but I think for a first effort, it isn't too bad.

Thanks for reading!

-Chris Bachman


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**One Of The Days**

Yawning, Katsu woke up.

Licking his lips, he sat up, eyes still closed. He had slept better than usual. For once, he did not dream.

He cracked a small smile. Often he would wake up, knowing that he had a dream, but it would be impossible for him to remember what it was. And later on he would just completely forget the feeling of not being able to remember something that you know you know.

Katsu glanced to his side.

Next to him she lay there, underneath the thick sheets that kept both of them warm. The Fukuoka winter was especially cold this year.

Anju.

Katsu reached over and gently stroked her cheeks and then her silver tresses. He loved the silky smooth thickness of her hair, the radiant color of it.

"Good morning," he whispered and kissed Anju on the cheek.

"Mhm..." Anju half murmured. "Is it time?"

"Yes, I'll have to go soon."

"Ok"

Katsu got out of bed and went into the bathroom.

Quickly, he undressed himself and turned on the shower. Without a shower, he'd never be able to wake up properly. It was almost like a religious ritual to him.

A few minutes later, the door suddenly opened and Anju stepped into the shower. For a moment, Katsu simply stared.

"Not now Anju, I got classes soon" he sighed, but that wouldn't stop her.

Without a reply, she stepped in and closed the door behind her.

Giving him a sleepy smile, Anju pressed herself closer to Katsu. Her tresses almost glistening under the bathroom light.

"Let me wash your back for you," she said and turned Katsu around, who easily complied. Wordlessly, he let her wash his back.

After Anju was done, Katsu automatically turned her around and put shower gel on her back. She shuddered at the sudden coldness.

Katsu felt her small backside, her slim waist, her smooth skin. And before he could deny himself, he had his arms around Anju, wnuzzling her long hair.

Anju smiled and stroked Katsu's arms. She could feel a hardness press against her backside.

It was warm.

"Katsu..." she whispered.

* * *

"Argh, damn it. I have to run," Katsu moaned, but he couldn't complain. It was his own fault that he was late. Or rather Anju's.

"I'll be back in a few hours," Katsu said and gave Anju a quick kiss, who was standing at the doorstep.

"I'll be waiting for you," Anju said stoically, but she had a small smile on her face.

Katsu chuckled at her answer. Anju was probably the only person in the world who said things in such a way naturally. Her voice sounded emotionless, but she had a smile on her face. Sometimes it would be a caring voice, but an emotionless face.

He knew that some people would call his simply 'weird', but he saw it as part of her uniqueness. She was the only person in the world, be it vampire or human, who was like that. It was part of what made Anju the only one he wanted to spend the rest of life with.

Walking down the road as fast as he could without running, Katsu looked at his watch. It was 9pm.

He looked up at the clear night sky. The stars were especially bright tonight.

_What a beautiful night sky,_ he thought. It reminded him of the times when he met Anju for the first time. That night, when he saw her on the rooftop, the night sky was just as clear as it was tonight.

Katsu reversed his sleeping pattern so that he could spend more time with Anju. At first Anju offered to change her sleeping pattern to that of a human's and stay awake during the day. But, soon it turned out to be a bad idea. Vampires' skin can't stand the sunlight, and hence even when Anju managed to stay awake during the day, she was stuck in the house.

So in the end, it made more sense for Katsu to to become night active and sleep during the day.

In the beginning Anju was against this idea. She thought such a drastic change would harm Katsu's body, who had known this single sleeping pattern it's entire life. But after seeing how easily Katsu reversed his sleeping habits, she gave in.

After all, Katsu had plenty of practice when he was in Tokyo.

After moving back to Fukuoka and miraculously passing final high school exams, Katsu signed up for night time classes in sociology.

It wasn't his first choice, but night classes didn't offer many options. In fact, he could consider himself lucky for even finding classes at 9:15 pm.

Or rather, those were morning classes to him and Anju.

At first grandpa was against Katsu taking sociology, he couldn't see any point in taking it, but he soon gave up. Ironically, Anju as his wife has even less of an influence over him in this matter. As far as she was concerned, university was nothing but a gathering of fresh, young blood.

Panting, Katsu arrived at the university and quickly walked into the lecture hall. Just made it in time.

He had half a mind to blame Anju for causing him to rush. But then again, Katsu couldn't complain. In fact, he didn't mind at all.

* * *

With a small sigh, Anju watched Katsu vanish around the corner.

Every day, the exact same pattern.

Well, almost the same.

She'd see Katsu off with a quick kiss. Then some hours later he would return and around 2 or 3 AM they would go over to the local branch of the Vampire Hunter Guild.

Since Katsu is the only human alive with experience with vampires, he is an invaluable source of information to the hunters. And since Katsu got dragged to the Elder's House and got knocked out by bats numerous times, he had a treasure chest of observations.

Plus, his wife is a vampire.

And if Anju was in a good mood, she would talk a little to the younger hunters. Always giving them a smile that would flash her fangs and send shivers down their spines.

That was how Katsu earned the money for rent, food, gas and everything else. He gave lectures about vampires.

Or rather, he tells his students of the observations he made during his adventure back in Tokyo.

When they were alone, Anju had explained many things to him. For example, the times when a vampire matures from a human to a full fledged adult vampire.

But she made him promise not to tell his students certain facts. Facts that could be extremely disadvantageous towards vampires if ever leaked to humans. Katsu was the only human that she trusted with information like that.

The fact that most vampires were extremely old fashioned, for example. Most didn't even have a television.

Anju walked back into the house and tied up her long wavy hair. Long hair would only get in the way during work.

She made the bed, did the laundry, cleaned parts of the house and watched some night time TV.

Most female vampires would not even think of doing such chores. It was a human way of doing things, they say.

But living with Katsu, Anju wanted to give him as much of a normal life as possible. Usually, vampires would let bats do the laundry and cleaning.

Katsu did not exactly fancy the idea of having hundreds of bats under the roof. He did not exactly have many good experiences when bats showed up along with vampires.

He never did say 'no' to Anju's habit of keeping bats around, but she could the uneasiness in his eyes whenever that topic came up.

So, Anju decided it would be better for her to do the work alone.

It was good exercise anyway.

She stuffed the clothes in to the washing machine and turned it on. Her planned chores for today were done.

She walked into the living room and sat down.

Exhaling, Anju's melancholic gaze wandered to the ceiling,

It was so quiet. A bat wouldn't be able to fly off the rooftop without being heard by Anju. After all, her ears were far better than any humans.

It were times like these that Anju wished Buggie-kun was still here.

It's been so long ago since she last talked to him.

Some months after Katsu had come back to Tokyo, Buggie-kun decided for himself that it was time.

"I'm going to go now Anju," he told her with a wicked grin on his face. But underneath that, was a warm and sincere smile.

Anju began to demonstrate, but Boogie-kun cut her off.

"I've been with far longer than I should be Anju. I've talked to your little human boyfriend. He's a fine man. You can rely on him. I trust him. He is completely different from when I was young. Which is a good thing."

Boogie-kun chuckled at his own joke.

"Go to his side now Anju. You've grown up. You don't need me anymore. And it's time for me to leave. I've had more than enough of this body!"

There was a silence.

"Thank you Anju." Buggie said calmly.

It was the only time Buggie had ever been so polite to his master.

Succumbing to Boogie-kun's demands, Anju untied Boogie's soul from the doll body and watched as all life faded away from the cotton doll.

It wasn't until months later that Katsu got to know why Anju was crying that night.

Boogie-kun's sudden disappearance never crossed his mind. He never liked that doll to begin with.

I wonder where he is, Anju thought. Maybe he is in heaven? Or hell? Do either exist? Did his soul simply fade away into nothing? Anju didn't know.

She still kept the lifeless doll in the closet, taking it out occasionally.

Perhaps Boogie-kun was right, Anju wondered. She was a young woman now. She perhaps didn't need a companion anymore. Now that she had Katsu by her side.

Shaking her head, Anju sighed. Mornings like these were especially lonely. But she was used to it. Even when she still hasn't matured into a vampire, she had spent a lot of time in solitude.

Besides, Anju had other worries.

As much as she hated to admit it, university was a gathering of fresh, young blood.

Meaning human girls of Katsu's age were there too.

And Anju was well aware that there were many cute, sweet, dainty curvaceous young girls there.

And although this feeling would only come occasionally, Anju was scared.

Not scared that Katsu by himself would stray away from her. No. But rather, that one of the sweet human girls might take a fancy in Katsu and seduce him.

And take him away from her.

The only male, human or vampire, that Anju had ever entrusted her heart to.

The only one, she had given herself to.

After all, a human girl would be able to have normal children with him. She would be able to live a normal life with him.

They'd be able to grow old together.

All of that, Anju couldn't do with Katsu.

Anju was scared.

* * *

"I'm home!" Katsu called out as he opened the door.

Anju popped her head out of the kitchen.

"Food is ready," she smiled. "This time I've decided to try something new."

Before Katsu could reply, Anju returned to cooking.

Katsu had an uneasy smile on his face. Anju did not have a sense of taste. Every recipe she'd try making for him would take weeks and months for her to master because she didn't have a sense of taste, and hence wouldn't know if her cooking was bad or not without any help.

And without a sense of taste, Anju can't go by 'the feeling' or intuition.

Everything had to go my grams and millimeters.

And whenever she tried something new...well, let's just say it's taking a reasonable risk.

Katsu walked into the kitchen, curious of what Anju was up to.

On the table, he saw the usual: rice, fried eggs and some fish.

"Anju...what's that new thing you said you were trying?"

Anju flashed him a grin. "One minute"

Whatever it was, she was definitely happy with the result.

Katsu gulped.

And two minutes later, the oven door opened and Katsu's surprise was there: a chocolate cake. Indeed, Anju had never tried baking one before.

Katsu's eyes widened. He grinned.

Anju set the cake on the table. A smile of satisfaction on her face. Even though she'd never be able to taste it properly, she could tell him the smell and looks that the cake was a success.

Laughing, Katsu put his arms around Anju.

"When'd you learn to bake so good?"

"I've had practice following recipes down to the last gram."

And indeed, the cake was very good.

There wasn't a day that went by where Anju didn't wonder how long this life would be able to continue.

But...she wanted to give Katsu as much of a normal life as possible.

* * *

And that's chapter 2! I guess I really went overboard with slice-of-life. But I think it's something every fantasy story needs. Some good slice of life. Show what the characters do every day besides the adventures. What they do when they rest.

Well, I hope you enjoyed.

Thanks for reading!

-Chris Bachman


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Lift The Wings**

Humming, Katsu was on his way to university. He loved the brisk morning walks. Or rather night walks in this case. It was always so quiet, so peaceful.

Such tranquility could rarely be felt during the day.

Next to him was Anju, wearing her usual black and white dress, with a white ribbon tied in her hair.

Over the years, even though Katsu had never told her this, Anju had learnt that he absolutely loved it when she added accessories to her long tresses.

So, every now and then, she'd 'treat' him a little.

Deep inside Katsu was grateful that Anju managed to find out his weaknesses and fascinations over the years without him ever uttering a word.

It was a sort of understanding that normally would take years of marriage to achieve. But then again, Anju was far more astute than the usual human female.

Or perhaps she just put in more effort.

Regardless, Katsu was always in a better mood if Anju put on a bright hairband.

"Any particular reason why you decided on a morning walk?" asked Katsu, raising his eyebrows slightly. It was the first time Anju had wanted to walk to classes with him. Normally, she'd prefer to sleep a little more. She wasn't much of an early riser.

Of course 8:30 PM was very late for Katsu.

Sometimes he'd still stay awake during the day, just to see the sun. Anju of course hated the sun more than anything else in the world, even though she knew it was the source of all live - and therefore her food - on earth.

"No reason" Anju answered stoically.

Somewhat startled by her briefness of her answer, Katsu gave her a slight smile and continued to walk onwards.

Little did he know that there was a cloud of bats following them. A cloud of bats carrying a bento. If other vampires saw it, they probably would have laughed harder than they did in the last hundred years.

It was Anju's cloud of local bats.

After days of thinking, Anju had decided to secretly follow Katsu to his classes to find out if there are any human girls he was especially friendly with.

It wasn't that she thought that Katsu was going to cheat on her or leave her.

But it was the fact that Katsu was still a human male. And a human male will always be looking at human females.

She would carry this bento to his university after they part ways, and if she ever gets caught by him, she would use this bento as an excuse for being on campus.

Normally Katsu would just buy a sandwich from a on campus convenience store.

"Alright I'm going to class now" Katsu said and gave Katsu a quick kiss.

Without warning, Anju framed her hands around his face and pulled Katsu even closer. She slid her tongue into his mouth and felt his warmth. Instinctively, Katsu did the same. They both became engulfed in a sensual warmth.

Minutes later, they separated. Anju smiled.

"Come back soon."

"I will."

Anju watched Katsu walk away and then vanish around the corner. For some minutes, she just stood there, waiting for Katsu to gain some distance, while a bat was keeping track of him.

It had been years since she last used her bats for something like this. In fact, the last person she tracked with bats was Tachibana.

The half vampire.

Sometimes Anju wondered what happened to her.

And what about Ren and Bridget? Anju heard that their son's name was Rei. Perhaps she should consider visiting them sometime.

Anju called her bats back and carried the bento herself. A cloud of bats in a city as small as Fukuoka could cause some commotion. In Tokyo this was no problem, everything happened too fast in that city for anyone to care about some bats.

Fukuoka was different.

Carefully, she traced Katsu's steps, remembering everything her spying bat has transmitted to her.

This would be the first time Anju has gone to Katsu's university.

At first Katsu wanted to introduce Anju to his friends there, but she preferred to be kept a secret. Vampires aged far slower than humans, and if one of those friends visited often over the years, some may notice that Anju barely aged once she had hit a certain point.

Anju was also afraid that she might feel the urge to bite some of his friends if she ever met them. And she knew that human males could be very jealous creatures.

She knew that the very act of her hugging someone else tightly while biting them would hurt Katsu. Especially if it was one of his friends.

Males are so complicated and simple at the same time, Anju would often think to herself.

And indeed, that was true.

Finally, after about ten minutes, Anju finally reached the university. It had been a while since she last went to a place of any sort of education.

Anju's eyes widened. It was so different from the primary school she attended before maturing into a vampire.

The university was so much larger. The buildings had a sense of maturity to them. Unlike the playfulness a primary school would have. There was almost a sense of solemnness coming from the university buildings.

Of course the buildings were far more modern than the Elder House and no where near as old.

But the aura emitting from the large campus was just...completely different from a primary school.

Although as far as Anju was concerned, all schools were gathering places of young blood.

A feast.

She followed the path her bat saw Katsu going. It led her up some stairs and then down a corridor.

She turned right and then the trail ended.

It ended because Katsu was sitting on a seat just a few steps away from Anju, staring off into space.

Stopping herself from gasping and calling out his name, Anju pulled back.

Katsu was alone. Or at least there were no other human girls around.

It were times like these Boogie-kun would have accused her of being jealous, but he wasn't here anymore. Anju was on her on, and doing things her way without any influence.

"What should I do..." Anju thought. If she kept standing behind the corner, by-passers might talk to her. Plus, there was a good chance Katsu might see her, since she was so close-by.

Anju decided to walk back down the stairs and settle down on a bench. In her place, she left a bat under Katsu's seat.

A certain doll would have asked by now why Anju didn't just use the same bats for long-distance observations, like she did with Tachibana and Usui Kenta.

Fear and jealousy do cloud one's judgement.

Even Anju's.

Anju sighed profoundly, and closed her eyes to concentrate.

* * *

"Hey Katsu!" a voice greeted Anju's target.

Anju commanded the bat to move to the side of the bench so that she could see who it was.

It was girl. Quite a cute one too. She had long black hair, a typical bowl cut hair, slender legs and curves that Anju knew Katsu would like.

"Hey Aiko!" Katsu grinned.

"Did you do that essay he asked us to do?" Aiko asked.

There was a worrying silence. Neither Aiko nor Katsu uttered a word. Seconds passed. Anju could see Katsu's eyes growing wide.

She heard Katsu rummaging in his bag. Then, there was more silence.

He gulped.

Finally, after a whole minute, he replied.

"Ah"

"You didn't do it Katsu?"

"Ah"

Anju wondered if the essay were the sheets of paper that Katsu left on kitchen table earlier.

Anju considered sending one of her bats home and getting the essay. Then she could confidently enter the corridor with a solid excuse.

And also make sure that Aiko knew whom Katsu belonged too.

Anju scowled. She observed how close Aiko was sitting to Katsu. She tried to follow Katsu's gaze. Where was he staring at?

To send the bat or not, that is the question.

Anju decided against it.

"Excuse me. Are you alright?" someone tabbed Anju on the shoulder.

With a sharp breath, Anju opened her eyes wide and turned around, with a bat ready in her hands.

Behind her stood a girl with shoulder length, black hair. She has the same bowl hair cut as Aiko. Maybe that haircut was in fashion right now.

"Are you alright?" the girl repeated. "You seemed like you fell asleep..."

For a few moments, Anju simply stared at the girl, blinking. Finally understanding what was going on, Anju answered.

"Yes...I'm alright. Thank you."

Unconvinced, the girl continued to give Anju a worried look.

_Go away human!_

_Perhaps if I talk to her, she will go away? Would that convince that I'm fine? How troublesome. _

"I was just waiting for my...boyfriend. His lecture should finish sometime..."

"Oh really?" the girl beamed. "That's so sweet!"

Anju flashed her a slightly annoyed glare. _Why is she so happy?_

"What's his name? Maybe I know him!" the girl asked.

Annoyed, Anju sighed.

"His name is Katsu. Katsu Takahashi."

The girl fell silent. Anju smiled. _Good. Will she go away now?_

Slowly, a huge smile grew on the girl's face. Then it turned into a huge grin. Obviously there was something strange.

"What is it?" asked Anju.

"I know him!" the girl beamed. "so _you're_ the girl he always talks about!"

Anju simply stared at the girl. What is she talking about?

"What do you mean..."

"Ah you see," the girl clapped her hands together and sat down next to Anju on the bench. "Katsu is quite popular among a number of girls. This girl called Aiko for example wanted to go see a movie with him about a week ago. But he turned her down, saying that in his heart, he was married already to this girl called Anju. Hahahaha. You should have seen all of their faces when he said that. Their eyes widened like there was no tomorrow!"

The girl gave Anju a wide smile.

"And before that, his guy friends were saying that Katsu kept telling them that he already had a fiance and that she was 'the one'"

Stunned, Anju stared at this girl.

Noticing Anju staring at her, the girl wondered if something was wrong. She opened her mouth as something suddenly came to her mind.

"Oh! How rude of me, I haven't told you my name yet! I'm Rika Yamazaki"

Smiling, she reached out her hand.

In a bit of a daze, Anju shook her hand.

Anju had no idea that Katsu refereed to her as 'The One' or his fiance to his friends. 'Married at heart'...it seemed quite...strong.

Smiling, Anju bit her lower lip and smiled. Without realizing it, she blushed. It felt so strange, so, so strange to have it confirmed again that Katsu cherished her so much. He changed his entire sleeping pattern, risked his life to be with her.

Anju simply felt so...happy to know that Katsu cherished her so much. That she was so important to him.

Even though she already knew beforehand that Katsu only wanted to be with her, she was still afraid, and now that it was confirmed again...Anju simply felt happy.

With a warm smile, Rika watched Anju blush with joy. Their bond must strong, Rika thought to herself.

"What are you guys doing here?" a voice sounded. Someone was standing in front of Anju and Rika.

Anju looked up. Her eyes widened when she realized who it was.

Katsu.

"Anju? How'd you get here?"

It was the first time Katsu had seen Anju talking with anyone on campus. In fact, it was the first time he'd seen Anju on campus. Normally she'd avoid places like this.

"I..I...I came to bring you a lunch...I mean dinner" Anju stuttered.

"How come your class ended so soon?" asked Anju, trying to change the topic right away.

"Ah, the professor wasn't feeling well today, so the lecture was cancelled today."

Rika watched the couple talk. She couldn't help but feel that there was a sense of...something there. Anju's tone changed so much when she started talking to Katsu. Her voice became softer, there was a certain warmth emitting from her her.

Almost as if Katsu's presence triggered something in her.

She couldn't but smile at Anju's flustered reaction. All of the sudden, she looked cuter than before.

Rika decided to leave the couple alone.

"I'll be going then," Rika announced. "I'll see you two around."

She flashed Anju a grin and without another word walked away. Katsu raised an eyebrow. He had never seen this girl on campus before. But then again, he barely saw anyone on campus since he takes night classes.

"Who was that?"

"Her name is Rika." Anju simply replied.

Then a silence settled.

There really wasn't much more to say. Anju barely knew anything about Rika besides her name.

"I just met her." Anju added.

"Ah."

In silence, the two began walking home.

Katsu couldn't but feel a little uneasy. something was off today. Minutes later, he decided to ask.

"Why were you on campus Anju?"

He looked at her directly in the eyes, not even blinking. A lot of times he'd gaze into her eyes, willingly losing himself into their melancholiness. But not today. He wad determined to know why she came.

"No...no reason. I just felt like coming" Anju replied.

Katsu wouldn't take that for an answer. "Anju..."

Anju could feel her heart beating against her chest as Katsu's gaze bore into her. It penetrated every part of her, making her feel his playful determination. She blushed uncontrollably.

Anju decided to reply with a question of her own.

"Who is Aiko?"

Katsu was confused. "What?"

"Who is Aiko?" Anju repeated, keeping eye contact and pointing a finger against his chest. "That girl with the long, black hair. Who is that?"

"Aiko...?" Katsu thought for a bit. Then it hit him.

"Oh! Her!"

Anju scowled. "Who is that?"

Katsu felt a hunch. Perhaps Anju was jealous. Or maybe she was scared. Nervous. Maybe all of them. It never did occur to Katsu how Anju would know how Aiko looked like.

When that question did pop into head, he simply assumed that Rika told her.

"Why do you want to know?" Katsu gave her a smile that could almost be a smirk.

"Rika told me that this Aiko asked you out."

Katsu pretended to think for a moment. It wasn't everyday that he had the upper hand in something over Anju. Usually, Anju would best him in almost everything.

Cooking was added to the list a few weeks ago.

"Yeah. She did."

Anju eyed him, expecting him to continue.

Katsu sighed and smiled. "And I said that I couldn't go out with her. Besides she is just a classmate of mine. And even if I did like her, I wouldn't have said 'yes'."

Without any warning, Katsu put his hands around Anju's waist, pulling her close. "Because I've already got you."

Anju's breath became heavy. She was exited.

"And besides," Katsu added. "She is Jun's younger sister."

Dumbstruck, Anju stared at Katsu, just before she was going to kiss him.

"What?"

"Aiko is Jun's sister." Katsu repeated calmly.

"You never told me that."

"You never asked."

Pouting, Anju pushed Katsu away. She couldn't believe that she had been played like this. The vampire prodigy.

"Don't be like that," Katsu laughed. "If you asked me 'Does Jun have a younger sister?', I would have said 'Yes Anju. Yes he does.'"

Without replying, Anju continued to stamp forwards, still pouting.

With a chuckle, Katsu quickly caught up. And knowing that Anju wouldn't resist, he put his arms around her tightly.

"Why so mad Anju?" he whispered into her ear. "You're the only one for me. I even told my friends that I'm married."

Anju put up a bit of a struggle, but then soon gave up. "But you're not married."

"Then will you marry me?"

"Shouldn't you get down on your knees when asking that?"

And so, with sigh and a smile, Katsu went down on his knees in the middle of the street.

And proposed.

You can guess what the answer was.

* * *

I was flying to Germany, and finished this chapter on the plane...

Been up for over 24 hours now, traveling and all...

I'm through, going to sleep now. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Thanks for reading!

-Chris Bachman


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

**In Sickness or Health**

Groaning, Katsu woke up. His head was spinning, his throat felt like sandpaper. His mouth stank. He hadn't been in this conditions for years.

He was sick.

From the corner of his eyes, he glanced at Anju. Fast asleep, she was breathing gently, the bedsheets hiding most of her. Normally Katsu would lean over and give her a kiss, but not this time.

He had to get out of bed. Fast.

With a tiresome sigh, Katsu dragged himself out of bed and to the toilet.

Before he could even reach the toilet bowl, the nauseous feeling pushed itself to his throat.

_Urgh._

Just enough time to bend over, Katsu had his head in the sink.

And a moment later, last night's dinner was in the sink. Rice and fish. Katsu would have thought "What a shame, it was real tasty too", but before he could even think, more came out of his mouth.

Hearing Katsu puking, Anju woke up and rubbed her eyes. She looked at the clock: 5pm. It was the first time she had been awake at this odd hour.

She then noticed that Katsu wasn't next to her. There was a light coming out of the bathroom. Along with that light came the sound of Katsu giving out the contents of his stomach.

With a sharp breath, Anju jumped out of bed (something she rarely, if ever, did) and quickly walked to the bathroom.

There he was, her boyfriend, her fiance, her husband, leaning over the sink, only half of his head visible.

"Katsu..." Anju studied Katsu tentatively. "Are you OK?"

There was more groaning. Slowly, Katsu turned around and leaned against the wall.

"No" he managed to breath. "I think I got a light case of food poisoning."

Anju's eyes widened.

"No, not from your food" Katsu added before Anju could have any thoughts on it. The last thing he wanted now was to be with an Anju who is blaming herself for his sickness. Perhaps he shouldn't have eaten Jun's homemade sandwich as a midnight snack in the middle of the night.

Anju kneeled down and examined Katsu's pale face. She was worried. He hadn't looked this pale every since he came out of the prison in the Elder's House.

"Should I call an ambulance?"

Katsu nearly choked on his own vomit. He quickly gave himself over the sink again.

"No." Katsu said firmly, panting. Vomiting literally felt like puking out all of one's energy. He hadn't felt this exhausted for a long time.

"I'm not gonna die," Katsu breathed heavily. "Water."

Nodding, Anju stood up and quickly went to the kitchen. It was quite something, she thought. Food poisoning. Vomiting. It could reduce a healthy human to this state so fast. Panting, exhausted.

If someone was after Katsu's life, he'd be an easy target if Anju wasn't by his side.

Anju felt nervous.

Never before had she seen Katsu so exhausted. Even when he came out of the Elder House dungeon he was in a better shape. She could hear Katsu panting and puking.

As fast as she could, Anju bought back a glass of warm water.

"Thanks" Katsu muttered and took a small sip.

Anju knelled down and observed him. She wondered if she should call Rika and ask if her husband ever had such problems.

Perhaps not. Rika had only been married for a week.

As far as Anju knew, Rika was still on her honeymoon. A trip to norther Japan to ski, and then natural hot springs at night.

Katsu suggested if they should do that too. After all, one could also ski at night. And besides, Anju had been living the human life for quite a while now, besides the odd night or two where she feels the urge to go out hunting for young blood.

Anju took Katsu's arm and helped Katsu stand up. Carefully, the pair walked back to the bedroom. Katsu's shirt was soaked. He was still panting hard, as if he had just returned from a long run.

For hours, Katsu lay there, breathing, always trying to keep the nauseous feeling suppressed.

And for hours, Anju sat besides him, watching him, gently stroking his forehead every now and then.

She tried making soup for Katsu, and he drank it slowly. But just minutes later, it would all come out the same way it came in. His stomach simply would not accept any kind of food or liquid.

Anju was worried. Never had a vampire vomited after sucking blood. Even the most alcoholic blood didn't cause vampires to vomit it all out.

It was then that Katsu kindly reminded that he was human through and through.

"Warm water right now is the best for my stomach. Little by little," he said. "Before I met you, I ate something bad before too. Similar consequences. As long as I don't push myself, I will be fine."

Anju took his word for it.

If one didn't know better, one would have said it was a simple wife taking care of her sick husband.

And in all truth, this may have simply been something like that.

Simplicity is beautiful isn't it? Just pure beauty.

"Hey..." Katsu breathed out. It was almost 8pm. "Are Rika and Jun still on their honeymoon?"

Anju nodded. "I think they will be back sometime next week."

Katsu chuckled. "When I get better, how about next week we go on a trip? The university is having a break anyway. My old professor won't be back in a while."

Anju's eyes widened. It was the first time Katsu had ever suggested something like this. He knew that Anju didn't especially enjoy human contact, even at night. Not to mention the difficulties of having to travel by night.

But standing on top of a big white slope...and then racing to the bottom. It was something that fascinated Anju. Such a simple pleasure, yet so hard for her to reach.

"But...how will...we..."

"We will drive," Katsu smiled. "One of my friends is willing to lend me their car for a few days. We can drive there during the night and arrive there first thing in the morning."

"You don't know how to drive."

"I've been getting some lessons. Nothing to worry about. As long as I don't drive past the speed limit, the police won't stop us."

Anju eyed Katsu. He had never told her that he had been getting lessons. Normal girls would have simply ignored this. They wouldn't have even thought about it at all.

But not Anju. She was far more shrew.

"Lessons? From whom?"

"Just lessons."

"Who?"

Katsu bit his upper lip and sighed. "Aiko."

There was an awkward silence. Katsu knew that Anju didn't especially like Aiko, since she took a fancy in him some years earlier.

But Aiko was the only one willing to let him use their car and teach him how to drive it, with the risk of him scratching and bumping it as a complete beginner.

"Katsu..." Anju half growled. She knew what she wanted to say. She wanted to say that she didn't want Katsu around her. She wanted to say that she was afraid that Aiko might try to seduce him. She was jealous. Simple jealousy. And anxious.

But of course, Anju's pride wouldn't allow her to say something as embarrassing like that.

"She has a boyfriend." Katsu added with an almost nervous smile. "I don't know his name, but I think Aiko really likes him."

Anju averted his gaze and turned away. She had seen how cute Aiko was. Very different from the mysterious, stoic aura she possessed since birth. Somehow Anju couldn't shake the feeling that Katsu wanted a more lively, human girl.

Cute, lively, human girl.

Sighing, Katsu sat up.

"Anju..." he smiled and gently let his touch travel down her nape. "There is something I have to tell you."

With a sharp breath, Anju instantly turned around. She could feel her heart beating against her chest. She swallowed. Her facial muscles did not even twitch the slightest.

Katsu continued to smile. "You remember when I first met you?"

Anju nodded.

"Well before grandpa sent me to Tokyo, I attended the same middle and high school as Aiko. Well, she took a fancy in me when we ended up in the same class in high school. Wether or not that is a reason for why we both ended up in the same lecture class in the same university, I don't know."

Katsu stopped for a moment, looking at Anju, waiting for even the slightest change in expression.

His beloved vampire was as stoic as she had ever been.

Katsu continued. "Well, in high school I went out with her for a couple of weeks, and then broke up with her."

Katsu chuckled slightly as he thought of that. _Those were the days..._

"Well, I broke up with...well because...I suppose I felt that she just wasn't the one I wanted to be with. But even after I left for Tokyo, she wouldn't let go of me."

Katsu stopped and looked at Anju again. She nodded for him to continue.

"And that's all there is to it."

Unbelieving, Anju blinked. She knew if she asked why Katsu had never told her about this, he would simply answer that she had never asked him.

Sighing, Anju rested her head on Katsu's shoulder. So there was nothing to be afraid of. Katsu put his arms around her shoulder.

"And then I met you when I came to Tokyo," he murmured. "and never looked back ever since."

"So that means you looked back before?" Anju poked a finger against Katsu's cheek.

"And when I met you I was sure I made the right decision."

"So that means you looked back before?" Anju repeated.

Katsu sighed. "Well, Aiko isn't a bad girl...so..."

"So that means you looked back before?" Anju repeated again, this time with a playful sense of impatience in her voice.

Again, Katsu sighed. "Yes. I looked back before. Happy?"

Smiling, Anju poked Katsu's chest. "Yes."

* * *

Hours later, Katsu stood up and changed his clothes. He felt like walking. All night he had been in bed, sleeping, recovering from the light food poisoning he had. Meanwhile, Anju had been cooking miso soup in the kitchen, one of the first recipes she had mastered.

"Heya," Katsu smiled weakly as he dropped himself into the kitchen chair. "Smells good"

Anju brushed her hair aside and smiled. "Feeling better?"

Katsu nodded and waited for Anju to serve the soup.

Slowly he took small sips. Making sure that after each sip his stomach didn't show any signs of rejection.

Puking the soup out would be a shame. Katsu looked up from the bowl and noticed that Anju was reading a thin book.

Not that Anju reading something would be out of the ordinary. In fact, besides watching late night television, she read most of the time.

But not thin books. No, no. She'd read the thickest classics she could find. Her silver tresses making her appear like a mystical sorceress studying ancient writings.

Thin novels were something she rarely ever touched. And so Katsu decided to ask.

"What are you reading?"

Surprised, Anju looked up from her light novel. "_Sky with a Rising Half-Moon,_" she replied. "Rika lend it to me."

"Half moon?" Katsu raised an eyebrow. _What an odd title. _

"It's about this boy Ezaki who meets a girl called Rika in the hospital. She had spent most of her life in the hospital due to a weak heart valve..." Anju's voice trailed off as she started at the cover of the book.

Katsu couldn't help but just stare at Anju. "Is it any good?"

"It is the best human written novel I have read so far. There are seven more volumes in this series."

"Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora..." Katsu licked his lips.

With a sigh, he put down the bowl and stood up. "I'm going out for a walk."

Concerned, Anju looked up. "Do you feel well enough to do that?"

"I don't know," Katsu half smiled. "But I've been in bed all night and I need some fresh air. You want to come with me?"

Anju nodded and put her book down. Or rather Rika's.

* * *

It was a full moon. Hand in hand, a vampire and a human walked down the quiet streets of Fukuoka. It was quite a sight. A normal one would have mistaken Anju as an Eurasian and thought to himself that Katsu was one lucky man.

A woman would have been jealous of the Eurasian's silver tresses.

Many times had the two walked down this road in the exact same fashion. Many times had they walked in silence, and just as many times had they chatted along the way. It was just like any other time.

"Time flies, doesn't it," Katsu half smiled.

"It does," Anju agreed. "It seems just like yesterday when I first met Rika and saw you talking to Aiko."

And the moment those words left her mouth, Anju wished she could take them back. But it was too late.

"True, true. Amazing isn-"

Katsu stopped with his mouth still open. Something was off. He turned to Anju.

"You saw me talking to Aiko on that day?"

Anju took a sharp breath. "I mean Rika told me about you and Aiko."

"But just now you said you saw me talking to Aiko."

Anju remained silent. She didn't know what to say. It had been years since that day, for a human, Katsu's memory was surprisingly sharp.

"Did you send a bat after me on that day?"

As stoic as ever, Anju simply kept walking forwards. She didn't want to admit how insecure she was at that time. Even after all those years, her pride was still very much a part of her.

"Anju..." Katsu sighed and pulled her hand to stop her. Without another word, he locked eye contact with her, determined to stare the truth out of her even though he knew it already.

Biting her lower lip, Anju returned the stare, knowing that sooner or later she would have to submit.

And minutes later, Anju sighed.

"Yes. I sent bats after you on that night."

"Why?"

Anju swallowed. Katsu was really pushing her.

Anju swallowed again. This time her pride and embarrassment.

"I was scared." Anju eventually answered. "I thought there might be human girls trying to seduce you in your university, so I thought..."

Dumbstruck, Katsu stared at her. He had no idea that Anju's complex with human girls like Rika and Aiko ran so far into the past.

Most of the time he thought that Anju couldn't care less about human females.

Katsu smiled. Then it turned into a grin. And eventually, he began to laugh.

Laughing, he out his arms around Anju and inhaled her scent.

"Ah...Anju...Anju...Anju..."

Confused, Anju gazed up at Katsu, who was still laughing. There was a mix of relief, merriness and just pure amusement on his face.

Anju had just swallowed her pride and Katsu was laughing.

Pouting, she pushed him away and walked forwards without waiting for him. She wanted to get back at him in any way possible.

Any way that would embarrass him.

Anju came to a stop. She had an idea. An idea that came from Rika's book.

"Katsu!" she yelled as loud as her voice would allow her.

Instantly, Katsu's laughter stopped. _Uh oh..._

"I will never forgive you," Anju growled as she walked towards Katsu and poked his chest. "I will never forgive you for how you humiliated me!"

Katsu swallowed. He could see Anju's fangs. It has been a while since he had seen them so long.

"I will never forgive you...unless..."

Katsu raised both eyebrows. "Unless?"

"Unless you burn the porn magazine collection you had been hiding under your bed ever since we began living together."

Katsu's jaw dropped.

"How...Ho...How...How did you know...?"

"I'm your wife..." Anju said with a snicker. "There is nothing you can hide from me."

"Besides..." Anju added. "You don't need them anyway..."

Katsu knew he had no choice. Since Anju found out already. Or rather, he was forced to accept reality.

"Fine..." Katsu sighed in defeat. "I'm going to burn them."

Anju smiled triumphantly, and the couple continued to walk down the street.

Jun would be received a large magazine collection when he comes back.

Wether or not Rika finds out is another question entirely.

* * *

Sorry that this chapter took so long. I had exams and well...since I'm a senior, I have to give a damn about them wether I want to or not (since its university offers time).

Thanks for reading!

-Chris Bachman


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Wish Upon A Moon**

The full moon.

How nostalgic.

Walking under the full moon, Anju appeared almost spirit like. The moonlight making her silver tresses glow.

As if a certain aura engulfed her.

She walked the path she had walked so many times with Katsu. The path they had always walked years ago. First the streets of Fukuoka, past grandpa's house and then up the hill. And at the top of the hill, they'd be able to gaze at the moon.

Katsu never told Anju that this was a spot he first discovered with Aiko back in the day. In the end Anju never found out and that little secret went to the grave with him.

How many years has it been since she has last seen Katsu?

Anju exhaled. So many years have passed since then.

Katsu's mortality.

She remembered it as if it was just yesterday. They'd climb up the hill and gaze at the moon. This special hill that they would call theirs. During the tourist season, the hill would always be full of humans. But in the night, it was as quiet and peaceful as a graveyard.

It was their own special place in the night.

He'd put his arms around her shoulder and hold her tight. He'd nuzzle his nose in her hair and without any words tell her how much he cherished her.

But that was all the past.

For Katsu was not part of this world anymore.

Next to Anju, were two children.

Two girls. One with black hair, and one with silver hair.

"Oka-san," the black one sounded. "Why are we climbing up this hill?"

Anju remained silent, and answered with a gentle smile.

"To visit Oyaji," the grey one said when she realized that her mother wasn't going to speak. "Right Oka-san?"

Anju simply nodded.

And with one in each hand, Anju walked up the hill.

To visit Katsu on top of the hill.

A hill that was as silent and peaceful as a graveyard during the day.

* * *

"Huh, the moon is brighter than usual," Katsu commented as he walked up the hill while holding Anju's hand.

Anju remained silent. Her thoughts were elsewhere. Thoughts that she wouldn't have if she had no human friends.

"Say," Anju began and then stopped for a moment. She thought about it again. "What do you think Rika and Jun should call their child?"

"What do you think we should call _our_ child?" Katsu returned with a small chuckle.

"But Rika is going to give birth around next week."

"You're four months pregnant."

The couple fell into silence. Neither was sure what to say. But that didn't cause them to feel awkward around one another. They had spent so much time together, some silence had become a natural part of it.

"Oh right, by the way," Katsu began and came to a hold. "Does Rika now you are a vampire? I mean both Jun and I know...so...did you tell Rika?"

Anju shook her head. "Perhaps sometime in the future."

"So...when? I mean, you have known her for almost as long as you've known me. I'm sure she is trustworthy."

"Perhaps after she has given birth to Yoko."

"Yoko, when did they decide on that name?"

"They didn't. But I will suggest that name to them."

Katsu grinned and chuckled. _Yoko_. Quiet the cute name.

Anju and Rika got along surprisingly well with one another. Perhaps because she didn't take an interest in Katsu. Or perhaps it was her who brought Anju the news of how much Katsu cherished her.

Katsu just wished that Anju could also get along so well with Aiko. To this day, she was still hostile towards his high school sweetheart.

In fact, last year, Aiko had married.

But Anju still did not trust her.

There were enough stories in TV about housewives cheating on their husbands, Anju would say every time Katsu tried to convince her that Aiko was not after him anymore.

But, in the end, Katsu was relieved that Anju managed to make such a close human friend. Or else, he was afraid that Anju might have been bored to death in Fukuoka with no female companions. Albeit this human female didn't know who Anju really was.

"I'm glad I met Rika," Anju smiled slightly. "It feels quite good to have another female to talk to. They are quite different from human males. So much more different..."

"Well, if there is anything you want to know about human females, you could ask me. I spent my whole life with humans after all."

"The only human girlfriend you ever had was Aiko," Anju teased him, and gave him a smile that showed off her fangs.

"Ahahahaha" Katsu let out a dry laugh and continued to walk on. Katsu wanted to make a comeback, but decided it was best to leave the Aiko topic for now.

Anju's fangs were never a good sign. Even if they came along with a playful smile.

And minutes later, they finally reached the top of the hill.

There they stood for some minutes, ever so close to one another, gazing up at the shining full moon. The sun of the night in every sense of the word.

Katsu put his arms around Anju's shoulder and pulled her even closer.

"You know..." he began and his voice trailed off for a bit. "Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if grandpa had never sent me off to Tokyo. Sometimes I wonder what it might have been like if I never met you on that rooftop. What if I had stayed in Fukuoka and never met you or Jun. What my life would have been like if I married a human girl and lived a normal life."

He gazed into Anju's eyes and there was a certain anticipation in them.

"Much less satisfying than this one." Katsu concluded with a chuckle.

* * *

Anju stood at the top of the hill again, this time with her two daughters. The two little ones were somewhat confused. But they could sense that this spot was important to their mother.

And there on top of the hill, Anju made a wish. A wish to see Katsu again, no matter how astronomically small the possibilities of that were...she wanted to see him again. Somehow. Perhaps not in this life, but in the other.

After all, those were Katsu's last words to her. _See you in another life._

"You should see the kids," Anju thought as she gazed upon the moon and across Fukuoka. "One of them looks a bit like you. Though they look more like me."

"They have grown so much Katsu..." Anju whispered.

A small smile twitched at the corner of her lips. She imagined the sheepish smile Katsu would have given her if he stood next to her.

A wish upon a moon.

* * *

Well...and that's the last chapter of Wish Upon A Moon!

And with this, I can for sure say that Anju's story is complete. This will be the last Karin fanfic from me. In fact, this is the last fanfic I have got planned. Between Anju's Chapters and Wish Upon A Moon, I began writing original stories, as that is ultimately planning to go. Now that I have gotten Anju's story done, I've looked back at everything I wrote from the first chapter of Anju's Chapters, the originals and this last chapter, and I think, judging from how fast my writing has matured throughout every stage, I think realistically if I keep working on my writing throughout university, I can realistically expect to call myself a professional fiction author when I'm around 25 or 26.

Writing down the complete story I had envisioned for Anju had really helped me grow. It trained me to keep characters in character and make character developments that seem natural with the characters of another author (and boy is that hard...). Writing Katsu's journey with Anju also taught me to not to cast myself into the story, as I've seen many writers do on . Furthermore, smithing Katsu not to become a Mary Sue was also a good lesson. One of the first steps towards becoming a published pro.

Looked back now, I can only say that I'm more than glad that I've decided to write all of this from beginning to end. It really did help me figure out my writing.

And well, this is the last you'll hear from me on .

Maybe on day I'll see you in a bookstore!

Thanks for reading!

-Chris Bachman


	6. Announcement!

Almost five years after writing this piece I am excited to announce the publication of my first book on Amazon! It is called iSync. I can not post links here, so if you are interested in having a look, please search 'iSync ebook' on Amazon or go to Facebook and search 'isync' and the result under 'book series' should be it.

Thank you very much!

Below is a summary of iSync:

* * *

Sometimes life will hit you in the head with a brick. It might hit you so hard, you won't have to will to stand anymore. And sometimes, there just may be a way out of this hell.

Issa has failed. He has failed school. He has failed his exams. Trying to find a purpose in his life that goes beyond earning an "A", Issa receives an invitation to join a virtual reality project. He agrees to it. It was the best and worst decision he would ever make.

Along with a hundred other people, Issa is introduced to iSync. A virtual reality that was better than anything he had ever experienced. Soon, several 'players' venture outside of the designated testing grounds, triggering a serious programming error. All contact with outsiders cut off, Issa and his new friends are trapped inside a prison from which dreams are made of, literally.

Forming a team with a girl called Flower and a university student called Quaker, Issa sets out to gather the escaped players in order to reverse engineer the programming error. Easier said than done. iSync was still incomplete, hostile creatures were far beyond the fighting experience anyone had. In other words, people had to die in order to figure that out. Issa quickly found out that death in the virtual world also meant death in the real world; the human mind simply didn't have the capacity to make a strong enough distinction between these two realities.

Yet, Issa discovers the beauty of such a prison. In a virtual prison, he was more free than in the real world. No rent. No taxes. No As and Fs. Staying alive is one thing, retaining the will to escape is a different game.


End file.
